Elton John to marry longtime partner

WASHINGTON - Pop icon Elton John says he will tie the knot with partner David Furnish now that his native Britain has legalized gay marriage.

The top-selling artist told NBC's "Today" show that "we'll do it very quietly."

"But we will do it and it will be a joyous occasion," John added.

The couple, who have two children together, entered into a civil partnership in 2005.

A historic law legalizing same-sex marriage took effect in England and Wales on Saturday, the final stage in the long fight for legal equality for gays and lesbians.

Civil partnerships have been legal there since 2005.

"I'm very proud of Britain and the laws that we've seen come into existence since we've been together," John said in excerpts of the interview set to air Monday.

"For this legislation to come through is joyous, and we should celebrate it. We shouldn't just say, 'Oh, well we have a civil partnership. We're not going to bother to get married.' We will get married."

Furnish told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in a separate interview that an intimate ceremony would take place in May.

"I think what we'll do is go to a registry office in England in May, and take the boys with us, and a couple of witnesses," the publication quoted him as saying.